Dow Chemical Company to Support Habitat for Humanity Construction Project in Colombia

The Dow Chemical Company, now in its 35th year of supporting Atlanta-based nonprofit Habitat for Humanity, recently announced that Colombia will be the site of one of the builds that the two organizations collaborate on this year.

The project in Tenjo, just outside of the capital of Bogotá, is unique in that it will be a pilot project for 2017 that uses the company’s polyurethane materials in PVC panels that will form the structure’s walls. The PVC panels, which Dow says are cheaper and more sustainable than brick or cement, are expected to require minimal maintenance and provide both thermal and acoustic insulation.

After completing the pilot house for a family of five in Tenjo, which Dow expects to start building in June, the company says there may be an opportunity to construct a whole neighborhood of similar houses in Quimbaya, a town in the western part of the department of Quindio.

“The project aims to demonstrates that it is possible to build a low-income house that is both sustainable and affordable…with quality standards like no other of similar value,” a Dow representative told Finance Colombia.

Rob Vallentine, director of global citizenship of Dow and president of the Dow Chemical Company Foundation, said that the company is looking forward to this and other projects around the world that help put its products to use for those in need. “Our Habitat collaboration gives us an opportunity to demonstrate the ways Dow can use the passion and talents of our people to help transform society at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and citizenship,” said Vallentine.

Also in 2017, Dow will for the first time support a Habitat for Humanity project in Myanmar, where it will donate water filtration systems in the towns of Thanatpin and Dala. Currently, more than a quarter of homes in these two areas receive drinking water from unsafe sources. After the build is complete, Dow will have partnered with Habitat for Humanity in 33 different countries during their long-standing relationship.

“Amazing things happen worldwide when partners want to make a positive difference in the lives of their employees, in the communities where they operate and serve, and around the globe,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International.

Photo credit: Dow Chemical Company